


Christmas Sweets

by devixenrox85



Category: D.Gray-man
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Christmas, Coronavirus doesn't exist in this story, Dog!Timcanpy, Eventual Smut, F/M, Female Allen Walker, PokerPair (D.Gray-Man), Probable OOC-ness, Rating May Change, Some British English, Swearing, i think, set in Britain, some Portuguese
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-08
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:53:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,188
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27952646
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/devixenrox85/pseuds/devixenrox85
Summary: An approaching blizzard has delivered a group of teenagers and their handsome relative on Ellen's doorstep. Unfortunately for Tyki Mikk, she was very much immune to his charms. At least, that's what she thought in the beginning. But with each passing second spent in his company, a small amount of her resolve dissolves away...
Relationships: Fem!Allen Walker/Tyki Mikk, Tyki Mikk/Allen Walker
Kudos: 13





	1. Chocolate Truffles

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, hello! How are all of you doing? As you can see, I’ve started yet another story. This was originally going to be a oneshot in DGM Plot Bunny Round-Up, but I felt that what I wanted to write would have made it too long. Now I need to worry about finishing it all before New Years Eve (because I doubt I’ll be able to finish by Christmas)…
> 
> By the way, I’m also writing this entire story in just one document instead of splitting it up chapter by chapter. So I need to be careful regarding all the cultural, author’s and end notes and chapter titles. Actually, I think it would be best to just not write the end notes for this story.
> 
> Disclaimer: D. Gray – Man is the property of Katsura Hoshino. This little slice belongs to my strange imagination.

_**Christmas Sweets** _

_**Chapter One: Chocolate Truffles** _

**\- xXx -**

_Leeds, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom_

_Christmas Eve_

“Here you are, Lenalee: a selection of every single coffee-flavoured sweet I have in stock for Komui, along with lemon lollies for Reever and candied fruit for the rest of their co-workers,” Ellen announced as she finished packing said sweets into four reusable canvas bags belonging to her customer and friend.

Lenalee smiled with relief as she opened up her wallet to retrieve a credit card. “Thank you, Ellen. These will definitely help bolster their energy during tonight’s crunch period.”

Ellen lightly chuckled as she totaled up her friend’s purchases. “There’s no need for thanks, Lenalee, seeing as you just helped me with my bills. Though I must admit, it is rather horrid luck that their latest deadline was moved to tonight.”

“More like an overly demanding publisher,” Lenalee sighed, inserting the chip side of her card into the card-reader. Grabbing the stylus to sign for her purchases, she further elaborated, “They didn’t like Komui’s pace regarding the alpha build, so they’ve pressured the Black Order into doing crunch.”

“I might not know the particulars about video game development, but it seems quite abhorrent for them to force developers like Komui and the others to work all night. And all on such short notice as well,” Ellen frowned in concern as she finished pressing keys and settled in to watch the register print out Lenalee’s receipt.

Lenalee nodded in agreement and pulled her credit card out from the reader before accepting her receipt. It, along with her card and wallet, promptly disappeared into the right pocket of her unzipped winter coat colored the shade of spring leaves. “It’s bad enough that they have work on Christmas Eve. Add on the fact that the coffee maker is still out-of-order due to yesterday’s incident with Komulin V…”

Ellen grimaced as her friend left that sentence regarding the latest fiasco involving Komui’s robots dangle in the air. She was well aware of exactly what type of damage the Komulin units could and have wrought. Suffice it to say, she was _very_ thankful that this one happened without herself being present.

“And I imagine that the weather is not helping either,” the white-haired woman murmured as she and Lenalee stole a peek outside through the large shop window with the words _‘The Wandering Pierrot’s Pocket Sweets’_ decorating its surface in black and white cursive script.

As Ellen’s sweets shop was located in the basement of her home, they were not able to see how much snow was covering the streets above. Still, the stairs leading up to her walkway already looked as though someone smeared an unseemly amount of marshmallow fluff on each step. And the layers grew even thicker with each passing moment due to the heavens sprinkling fresh snow onto the ground below since early that morning.

What’s more the local meteorologist, Hevlaska, predicted yesterday that Leeds would be visited by a blizzard formed in the Midlands. As with most of her forecasts, this one proved correct. The blizzard had successfully lacquered its birthplace in white enamel layers before journeying northward, leaving a monumentally opaque trail of snow in its wake. The last report that Ellen had heard about the blizzard, given an hour ago, placed it forty miles from the outskirts of Leeds.

Now, at the current time of three in the afternoon, it was a mere five miles away.

“No, not at all…” Lenalee murmured, then turned to Ellen with a speculative gaze. “Why don’t you come with me, Ellen? I can make room in my car for you and Timcanpy, and then we can all head over to Komui’s office. That way you won’t risk being snowed in without any of your friends on Christmas.” The Chinese woman then sighed as she glanced at her bags. “As it is, with so many of us scattered about the globe and unable to return to Leeds due to the blizzard, the party won’t be happening in person.”

_‘Well, that’s a shame,’_ Ellen thought to herself. Ever since they had moved to England from Hong Kong, the Lees would host a Christmas party for all of their respective friends. Naturally, given the type of people they befriended, that meant the affair was the most boisterous and chaotic event to ever grace their little corner of Leeds. And they wouldn’t want it any other way.

Then a question entered the confectioner’s mind and prompted her to ask, “But Lenalee, didn’t you mention earlier that you weren’t able to pick up enough food at the store due to today’s panic buying? And what about Komui and the others? Won’t they mind us distracting them from their work?”

Lenalee nodded. “Yes, the store’s shelves didn’t have much. But between what I did manage to buy and what I already have at home, there’s enough food to last for a few days. As for Komui-” She stopped talking to release an exasperated sigh over the thought of her very loving but quite impulsive older brother. “Honestly, he’ll more than likely rejoice at our presence – and use it to procrastinate further. I swear, there are moments where I think he needs a full-time minder.”

“Still, despite all that,” the Chinese woman continued with a softened gaze resting upon her friend, “he and the others will truly be happy to see you. And I’d rather not leave you alone at a time like this. Especially since tomorrow’s your birthday.”

The white-haired woman looked down at the floor as a bashful smile spread across her face and a warm glow filled her heart. Once Lenalee learned that Ellen’s birthday was Christmas Day after befriending the latter in secondary school, the Christmas party also became an occasion that supplied the younger of the two with extra presents, food and attention. Lenalee’s firm assertion that they would properly celebrate Ellen’s birthday along with Christmas had been very touching. The white-haired woman could still remember that first party; her sixteen-year old self standing in front of the marzipan-covered fruitcake with “Happy Birthday, Ellen” etched in royal icing, surrounded by Lenalee and everyone else… and trying not to shed tears of joy.

Before then, few people who met Ellen had bothered to acknowledge that the twenty-fifth of December was anything other than Christmas. The holiday always seemed to overshadow her birthday, making her feel that her coming into the world just didn’t matter.

That her existence didn’t matter to others, aside from her adoptive father Mana and later legal guardian Cross.

But from that birthday forward, Ellen did.

Now, however, the circumstances were different.

“I’m truly thankful for the offer, Lenalee, but I’ll have to decline so as not to burden you,” Ellen apologized to her friend, regret upon her face.

“Burden me?” Lenalee repeated with surprise, a concerned frown taking up residence on her face. “If you’re trying to allude to your… larger than normal appetite, then don’t. When I said that I had enough food, I meant that it was enough for _all_ of us,” the young woman asserted as she grasped Ellen’s right hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

“That did cross my mind, yes,” Ellen admitted. “But my biggest concern was actually time.”

The white-haired woman’s eyes then roamed about her shop, taking in the handmade sweets resting on tables and shelves located all around. “Before Timcanpy and I can leave, I’ll need to close up both my home and the shop,” she started to explain, removing her hand from a bemused Lenalee’s grasp. “Not only will the doors and windows have to be locked and shuttered, but the sweets not in cabinets must be stored in the back, money from the till placed into the safe, measures against snow damage and theft taken… There is so much I would have to do that I’m afraid the blizzard will arrive before I could finish them all.”

“I would be more than happy to help you with all of that, Ellen,” Lenalee offered. “Two pairs of hands will make the work go faster.”

Ellen, however, just shook her head sadly. “Even with your help, it would still take too long,” she sighed as she looked at the other once more. “And that’s before today’s last pick-up order is considered.”

Lenalee blinked at the mention of that specific business tactic. As a way to spread the word about her shop farther afield, Ellen recently introduced the option for her customers to reserve a rotating inventory of sweets on the shop website and pick them up within two days – basically it was just another form of take-out, though with the stipulation that the sweets will be mailed to the customer if they are unable to pick them up and don’t want to cancel their order. While only people within driving distance of Leeds were able to fully utilize the offer, the confectionery nonetheless received more than enough business to justify any and all costs.

“You still have one left? Given everything else, I would have thought that everyone who placed an order already claimed it,” the green-haired woman commented as she spared a glance towards a slim door a few feet behind Ellen – the only way to access the back rooms, and thus the pick-up orders, from the storefront.

“Well, it appears that the customer who placed this order has been detained in some way,” Ellen offered with a shake of the head. “What’s more, they’ve ordered so many sweets that the total amount could easily feed an entire primary school.”

“A primary school? Are you actually serious, Ellen?”

Ellen couldn’t blame Lenalee for the disbelief demonstrated by her tone of voice. The confectioner herself took a long double take when she first read the order. She was quite thankful she hadn’t been drinking any type of beverage at the time; otherwise, the urge to do a spit-take would have been too great to suppress. “I even took a photo of the order. Would you like to see it?” she offered while holding up her smart phone.

Morbidly curious, Lenalee couldn’t help but nod her head. Once Ellen found the photo and handed over her phone, the green-haired woman analyzed the image featuring several different types of sweets overflowing from cardboard boxes resting on a table. Every single box, neatly lined up in a row, had a piece of paper with the same name scribbled across it. And exactly how many boxes were there in total?

Nine.

Nine full cardboard boxes. Each of which were large enough to hold a large microwave.

Taking the phone back from her now thoroughly speechless friend, Ellen continued, “Seeing as the customer probably won’t be able to pick their order up, I’ve already sent them an email about shipping their order or canceling it. If they choose the former option, then I’ll need to get an address, pack all the sweets, and finally drop the package off at the post office.” The white-haired woman paused to consider that last statement, then amended it. “Well, the post office visit will have to wait until after the blizzard passes or Boxing Day arrives – whichever comes first. However, that still leaves three steps to complete. And that third step will quite likely take the most time, given the sheer volume and variety of sweets.”

“But surely you can put all of that off until after Christmas, Ellen!” Lenalee strongly countered once she finally regained her voice.

“Unfortunately, I can’t,” Ellen sighed. “While my business has been turning a tidy profit for a while now, it hasn’t been enough for me to hire another person to help around. That means I alone can do this. And with how much they ordered – not to mention what I have planned for Boxing Day – I need to begin today. To delay could risk my confectionery’s reputation for excellent service.”

That last factor was of particular concern to Ellen. In an age where online reviews held significant sway, complaints about poor customer service could prove especially damaging to a small business like hers. And since she had no idea how the customer in question, a Mr. Sheril Kamelot, would react to news that she procrastinated on mailing his sweets… well, it was best to err on the side of caution.

The confectioner turned her head to look at the back door and added, “Even if I do agree to go with you, Lenalee, I would still have to store all of the sweets away. That task alone will take a long while, seeing as each box weighs over five pounds. Plus some of them, like the chocolate truffles, need to be stored at specific temperatures.”

The green-haired woman’s face fell as trepidation spread through her body. “So, what you’re saying is that you’ll spend this Christmas not only with just Timcanpy for company, but by preparing a package for one single customer?”

Ellen quietly took hold of Lenalee’s hands and gave them a comforting squeeze. “What I’m saying is that there are too many tasks to finish for me to risk keeping you here one second longer. Not with an incoming blizzard that’s poised to be the second coming of the one from January 1995.”

Lenalee frowned with worry as she kept a steady gaze on Ellen’s face, trying to persuade the other to change her mind on staying. But her silent pleads were met with the understanding but still unyielding look shining within the confectioner’s silver-grey eyes. Having no choice but to accept defeat, the Chinese woman looked down at the floor and pouted. “Sometimes you’re so maddeningly stubborn, Ellen.”

Ellen raised a curious eyebrow as she asked, “More so than Kanda?”

“No, but you’re certainly giving him a good run for his money right now.”

The white-haired young woman gave her friend a rather sheepish grin. “That’s rather easy to accomplish, given that he’s currently stranded at an American airport due to the weather. Though once he finally does return, his surliness will surely have increased ten-fold.”

Lenalee groaned at that accurate prediction. “Great. I’ll need to recruit a team of former AFOs to escort Kanda to our next gathering.”

“A better strategy would be to have the AFOs escort Kanda around the clock.” Ellen’s grin grew mischievous and her eyes glinted as she added, “That way he’ll finally learn not to be so rude around other people.”

“I think pigs will fly before that tactic works, Ellen,” Lenalee dryly commented.

“Remind me to set up an appointment with a local farmer, then,” Ellen responded with a tone that sounded a bit too innocent.

A few snorts burst out of Lenalee’s mouth, unwilling to let her ignore that last quip. The snorts turned into full-blown laughing that quickly pulled in Ellen. By the time the women could stop laughing, wide smiles were on their faces and the mood was light and airy.

Unfortunately, a subsequent glance through the shop window reminded them that the aforementioned blizzard was still on its way – and was getting closer with each passing second.

Removing her hands from Ellen’s, Lenalee sighed and looked down at her knee high sherpa boots. Given the Chinese woman’s normal preference for stiletto heeled pumps, they along with her black ski-pants were a plain sign of her capitulating to the elements. “Oh well, at least Komui and the others will be happy with the sweets,” she commented as she zipped up her coat and grabbed the handles for two of the bags.

Ellen moved from behind the counter and went over to the coat rack for her own black parka. “Here, let me help you with those.”

After deciding that leaving though the shop entrance and trying to mount the snow-smothered stairs would take too long, the two women walked through Ellen’s front door and made the thankfully short trek to Lenalee’s car. While the car warmed up its engine, they wasted no time packing the sweets into the boot of the car. But when Lenalee slammed the lid down, instead of moving over to the driver side door, she turned around to face Ellen.

“Are you sure you haven’t changed about staying?” the Chinese woman asked her friend. “Like I said earlier, everyone at Komui’s office would be happy to have you there.”

“I haven’t, Lenalee,” Ellen confirmed. “Thank you for making the offer again, but Tim and I will be perfectly fine here.”

“Alright,” Lenalee sighed in resignation. “But expect a call on Zoom tomorrow. I am not letting a blizzard stop me from at least wishing you a _‘Happy Birthday’_.”

Ellen smiled and said, “I had no doubts about that, Lenalee.”

“And,” Lenalee tenaciously added, “I want you to promise me this: you will only pack or store that order either today or on Boxing Day.” She then sent her surprised friend an uncompromising look. “I know that running your own shop means working long and irregular hours, but exceptions have to be made for holidays and birthdays. Particularly if they land on the same day.”

Ellen felt her face flush in embarrassment. Lenalee’s admonishment was both well-meaning and deserved, given how many times the confectioner overworked herself this year. “I promise.”

Observing the sincerely contrite look on Ellen’s face, Lenalee’s own softened with a smile right before she brought her younger friend into a warm hug. “Call me if anything happens, okay? Or even if you just want to talk,” she gently implored into the other’s ear.

“I will,” Ellen replied while nodding, the young confectioner’s own arms wrapping around Lenalee to deliver a slight squeeze that conveyed her gratefulness for her friend.

As the two women let go of each other, Ellen picked up a large shopping bag from Morrisons that had been standing sentry by her feet. Inside the bag were several Christmas presents that she had packed while Lenalee gave Timcanpy, a poodle mix, a belly rub.

“Here are some of the presents, Lenalee,” the white-haired woman said while handing the bag over. “Yours, Komui’s, the others at the Black Order, and Kanda’s.”

Lenalee grabbed the bag’s handles and took a peek at the grey towel protecting fragile gift wrap layers and ribbons from the snow. “You included Kanda’s present as well?”

“Your home is closer to his than mine, so you’re more likely to see him first once he returns,” Ellen reasoned as they walked to the driver side door of Lenalee’s car.

“That makes sense,” Lenalee nodded as she opened the door to place the bag in the passenger’s seat. “What did you get him for Christmas, anyway?”

Ellen stuck her hands into her pockets and simply said, “Just some homemade sweets.”

Lenalee abruptly turned her head to look at her friend in confusion. “But Ellen, you know Kanda hates them.”

“Oh, I think he’ll like this present.”

“What makes you say that?”

A light twinkle entered Ellen’s eye as she whispered her response into Lenalee’s ear. When the confectioner moved back, she saw that any lingering doubt on the other’s face was replaced by quiet amazement. “Oh, I see…” she laughed, “yes, Kanda would certainly be a little intrigued by that.” The Chinese woman then tilted her head in thought. “How did you come up with the idea, anyway?”

“From a YouTube video. Considering Kanda’s favorite foods and the fact Japanese sweets use less sugar, I thought it would serve as a good foundation for his present,” Ellen replied.

“Hmm… I can see the logic,” Lenalee admitted as she got into the car and put her seat belt on. “Still, it will take a little effort to persuade him into eating your present.”

“Well, in that case,” Ellen grinned, mischief dancing in her eyes, “it’s rather fortunate that the one person who can convince Kanda into doing anything will be the one handing it over.”

Lenalee freely laughed at that true statement. “Right then, it’s time for me to leave. I’ll talk to you tomorrow, Ellen,” she said after closing the door and lowering the car window in order to address her friend.

“Alright, Lenalee. Be careful on your way to the office and tell everyone I said ‘hello’. And Happy Christmas!”

“I will. Happy Christmas!”

With those farewells and a few extra hand waves, Lenalee put her car into gear and slowly pulled away from the pavement to plow through the snow-covered streets.

Ellen kept watch, waiting until Lenalee’s car had disappeared around a street corner to turn back towards her home. As the young woman looked up at the brick façade of the Victorian back-to-back, she felt an unwelcome tendril of melancholy unfurl in her chest. But before it could take root in her heart, she firmly shook her head and lightly slapped her cheeks twice.

_‘Alright, there’s no time for moping about,’_ Ellen scolded herself as she opened the iron gate to the low brick fence surrounding her residence and walked towards her front steps. _‘I still need to check to see if Mr. Kamelot has responded to the email. Then, depending on his answer, the sweets will either be packed or stored in a separate area. And that’s not including shutting up the shop proper, checking the books, deciding what to cook for tonight’s dinner, playing with Tim…’_

With that myriad of thoughts swirling about in her head, Ellen opened her front door and entered the warm embrace of her home. It was more than certain the confectioner would be spending this Christmas Eve in a peaceful, almost boring manner.

Blizzards tended to guarantee that.

**\- xXx -**

**Cultural Notes**

**Leeds – The largest city in West Yorkshire. Once just a small borough during the 13 th century, it became a major center of the wool trade during the 17th and 18th century, then transitioned into a mill town with several side industries (flax, iron foundries, printing, etc.) during the Industrial Revolution. Now it’s the fourth populous urban area in the UK. Several video game developers also have divisions located there.**

**West Yorkshire – A metropolitan county in England. Formed in 1974 after the Local Government Act 1972 was passed. Once was a major player of the coal, wool and iron industries. Part of the historic county of Yorkshire.**

**Sweets (UK) – Candy.**

**Lollies (UK) – Lollipops.**

**Crunch – When people work unseemly long hours in a short amount of time. Depressingly common in the video game industry.**

**Midlands – Central region of England. Includes the historic counties of Lincolnshire, Rutland, Derbyshire, etc. Partly comprised of land that once belonged to the Kingdom of Mercia.**

**Minder (UK) – Caretaker.**

**AFO – Stands for ‘Authorised Firearms Officer’. They are the only police officers in Britain who are allowed and have trained to use guns. The vast majority are assigned to the Metropolitan Police in London.**

**Morrisons – The fourth largest supermarket chain in the UK.**

**Boot (UK) – Trunk.**

**Happy Christmas (UK) – Merry Christmas.**

**Back-to-back houses – A type of terraced house (think townhouses in the US) in the United Kingdom. Mostly built during the Industrial Revolution so as to house the rapidly growing working class population, these homes generally have two stories, a shared rear wall, and an enclosed courtyard featuring toilets and water sources for several households. Because these homes were cheaply constructed, they had poor ventilation and lighting, little privacy (the earliest back-to-backs had only one room per floor), and greatly fell short of hygiene standards. Eventually the building of new back-to-back homes were restricted in the wake of the Public Health Act 1875 (though Leeds kept up construction of nicer back-to-backs until the 1930s). While the vast majority have long been demolished, many still stand in Leeds and Bradford. Liverpool and Birmingham both also kept a back-to-back house as a tourist attraction.**


	2. Broas de Natal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Q: Tyki, his niece and nephew, and their American cousins are all heading to grab some candy before a blizzard hits. Which is more like to injure them: the weather or themselves?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, everyone! Welcome to the second chapter of Christmas Sweets! Here we see Tyki, Road, Wisely, Jasdero and Devitt traveling to pick up some candy. Now, why are they doing this right before a blizzard? Because Road. Just Road.
> 
> A quick heads up; there is going to be some poking fun at Texas, since I decided to have the twins come from that state. There is also making fun of American stereotypes. Hey, if I can’t make fun of my own country, who can I?

**_Chapter Two: Broas de Natal_**

**\- xXx -**

“Are we there, yet?”

Tyki Mikk fought not to groan at the one question dreaded by parents during long drives. But the query had not been uttered by his nonexistent child, seeing as the Portuguese man was currently and happily single. Instead, it came from the impatient teenaged girl sitting in the backseat of the rental car – also known as his niece, Road Kamelot.

“Relax, Road,” Tyki replied over the Christmas music floating about the rental car, courtesy of Road’s phone being connected to the speakers via Bluetooth. “We only just entered Leeds two minutes ago.” The adult then muttered in his native language, “ _Esta loja de doces não está ficando em ningúem lugar_. (This candy store isn’t going anywhere).”

The young girl pouted as she folded her arms, crinkling a sheet of paper grasped in her left hand against her coat sleeve. “But it feels as though we’ve been driving forever,” she complained in an exaggerating manner as she glanced at the paper. “If we don’t get there soon, we won’t be able to get the sweets!”

Wisely, Road’s older brother, turned around from his spot in the passenger seat to send her a wry look. “How surprising: heavy snow and an approaching blizzard is making our madcap trip to a sweet shop take much longer than it would have during _sane_ driving weather.”

Road had just finished rolling her eyes at his dry observation when their American cousins decided to cut into the conversation.

“If you guys had let Jasdero drive in the first place,” Devitt arrogantly stated, leaning back into the seat behind Wisely’s as he focused on the Nintendo Switch in his hands, “we would have reached that place at least ten minutes ago.”

Playing the same game as his twin brother, Jasdero giggled and added, “Yeah! Tyki’s driving way too slow.”

Tyki held in a snort of dry amusement at that. _‘Trust the Jasdevi twins to think a blizzard is no reason for some caution.’_

“And just what do you two expect him to do? Slam his foot down on the gas pedal and send us flying down the road at breakneck speed?” Wisely sardonically asked, returning his gaze to the printout from Google Maps in his lap. As the most level-headed (or the least fussy) teenager present, he was serving as the trip’s navigator since the car’s GPS was experiencing unknown technical difficulties.

Devitt shrugged and lifted his right foot to rest it beside Wisely’s head rest, much to the other’s annoyance. “It’s better than going at a snail’s pace,” he smirked, nudging the head rest while Jasdero snickered at the sight. “Back in Texas, we can outrun anything nature can throw at us once we go full throttle. With the roads here, it’s basically a cakewalk.”

Normally Wisely could tolerate the twin’s antics. But after an hour-long drive through heavy snow and unable to nap because he needed to give Tyki directions, the white-haired teenager was in no mood to do so. “Yes, because drag racing Americans with a mountain of speeding tickets are who need to be emulated right now.”

Greatly offended by that statement, Jasdero and Devitt put aside their Switches and aggressively lurched forward. Despite the rental’s enclosed space, the twins still managed to get close to their cousin’s seat. “You’re gonna get an ass-full of lead if you keep yapping like that!” Devitt threatened with a scowl as he poked Wisely’s head with two fingers held together – a variation of the finger guns.

“Yeah, an ass-full of lead!” Jasdero repeated, making the same hand gesture.

“Oh, I’m quaking in my shoes,” Wisely sarcastically scoffed, not at all intimidated by them. It might have been a different story, had the twins possessed their own handguns. But since guns were not allowed on international flights (for extremely obvious reasons), the two Americans were left without their constant companions. A fact that made Wisely bolder… and the twins more irritable.

Realizing that this situation was liable to get out of hand, Tyki pulled up to a street corner and parked the car along the curb. He rested an elbow on the steering wheel and turned around to order, “Hey, settle down you three. This isn’t the time or place to be arguing.”

The Jasdevi twins growled out, “Fuck off, Tyki!” Neither of them even glanced in the adult’s direction, instead keeping their eyes on their smart mouthed cousin.

Wisely declined to comment, but the fact that he silently refused to break away from the stare down proved his own disclination to obeying his uncle.

Tyki let out a weary sigh as he turned to face the front once again. _‘Maybe I should have just stayed at the Earl’s vacation home instead of agreeing to drive Road and the others to pick up candy before a blizzard hits,’_ he thought with some frustration, his free hand shielding his expression from view.

_‘Then again… the other choice would also mean dodging Sheril’s attempts to matchmake me with any of those women who just ‘happened’ to break down nearby…’_

_‘…never mind, I’ll take my chances with the blizzard.’_

With that put into perspective, Tyki removed his hand and caught a glimpse at Road in the driver mirror. Unlike her uncle, the girl was watching the sniping between Wisely and the Jasdevi twins with an entertained expression on her face. That was not unusual, as she always cheered and egged on the latter whenever they started a food fight during a family dinner. Besides the Earl, Road was the one person who could get Jasdero and Devitt to do any-

_‘Wait,’_ Tyki realized with a blink, _‘if I can’t stop the twins, perhaps…’_

The Portuguese man glanced out of the corner of his eye, checking to see if the teenaged boys were still fighting. Seeing that they were, he whispered out, “Hey, Road!”

The teenaged girl shifted her gaze from the bickering to her uncle and raised an eyebrow in question.

Looking at his niece through the driver mirror, Tyki silently gestured towards the teenaged boys with his head. _‘Do something about them,’_ he tried to convey to her.

But Road’s golden eyes – a quite common trait in their family – simply flashed with mischief. ‘Why?’

Tyki sent a sardonic look back at her. _‘Really?’_

Road shrugged her shoulders in a manner that practically screamed, _‘I’m bored and they’re the only real source of entertainment here. Why should I stop it?’_

Eyes narrowing, the Portuguese man sharply nodded to the rear window to indicate that she should really look outside.

Still amused, the teenaged girl nevertheless humored him by turning around in her seat and peering through the glass. And felt her mirth disappear as she witnessed the wind harshly scattering snowflakes upon every square inch of space available.

When Road turned back, Tyki dryly raised an eyebrow that rhetorically asked, _‘Do you understand now?’_

Road let out a soft, irate huff but refrained from doing anything which communicated disagreement. Instead, she reached out, grabbed the backs of Jasdero and Devitt’s coats, and quickly pulled them back into their seats.

“Oof!” the twins grunted out as they bounced a bit from the momentum. Before they could move even a finger out of place, Road elbowed them in their sides and said, “Knock it off!”

She also harshly kicked the back of Wisely’s seat – because he was just as much to blame as the twins – and thus sent him lurching forward with a wordless shout.

“Hey!” Jasdero whined as he rubbed his side. “That hurt, Road!”

“What’s your problem?” Devitt asked with a wince.

Road fixed her gaze on the Jasdevi twins and replied, “My problem is that your fighting is threatening our mission! We need to pick up the sweets as fast as possible, then wait out the blizzard at the closest hotel.” Her golden eyes narrowed as she added, “Neither can be accomplished if Tyki isn’t able to drive. And he can’t drive with you guys distracting him!”

Jasdero looked rather sheepish, but Devitt grumbled under his breath, “Wisely started it…”

“Too bad! I’m finishing it!”

Road shifted her gaze between Jasdero, Devitt and Wisely – who intelligently stayed silent – before addressing them all with a no-nonsense tone, “Now, I want all three of you to get along… at least, until we get the sweets and go to the hotel. Do you understand?”

“Yes…” the three teenaged boys unwillingly mumbled.

“I said, _do you understand_?”

The teenaged boys sighed and repeated in a louder voice, “Yes.”

Road’s face dropped a surprisingly threatening scowl for a happy grin. “Good!” she chirped out, then sent her uncle an expectant look. “Start driving again, Tyki. The sweets await us!”

The older man chuckled before drawling out, “Yes, Road.” As he put the car back into gear, he threw his nephew a questioning look. “Just how far are we from the _loja_ , Wisely?”

The light-haired teenager peered through the snowy abyss, trying to find even a glimpse of a street sign, and then consulted the pieces of paper within his grasp. “If the directions and map are accurate, it’s only a few blocks away from our current location,” he concluded.

“What, really?” Tyki questioned as he eyed the unending rows of attached houses passing them by. _‘Our surroundings don’t really suggest we’re that close…’_

Wisely accurately guessed what his uncle was thinking and replied, “Leeds allows certain food businesses to be run from the owner’s residence.”

Tyki let out a short hum as he thought on the explanation, then quickly accepted it and turned his full focus on driving.

The prospect of getting closer to their destination naturally increased Road’s excitement and impatience, causing her to bounce in her seat. As she sat in between the Jasdevi twins, her movements also caused them to involuntarily sway in place.

“Ooh!” the teenaged girl giggled to herself with a sparkle in her eye. “Going to pick up homemade sweets from a confectionery; this is gonna be the best Christmas Eve ever!”

Tyki raised an amused eyebrow as he observed Road through the driver mirror. It was common knowledge that his niece greatly adored sweets. He could still remember how she jumped with joy when he arrived at the Earl’s vacation home with some _broas de Natal_. This current display, however, was unusual even by her standards. “You seem to hold high hopes for this place, given that you’ve haven’t yet tried their products,” he commented as the car moved forward.

“Silly Tyki!” Road grinned as she held up her smart phone. “Just because I’ve never visited the shop doesn’t mean I don’t know what to expect. _‘The Wandering Pierrot’s Pocket Sweets’_ has been on my Instagram’s homepage since September! In fact, everyone here has seen at least one picture of its sweets!”

All Y-chromosome bearing individuals in the car blinked in confusion. “We have?” they all said at once.

Road let out a sigh of light disappointment. “My weekly sweets vlog, remember? The one I send you all a link to on WhatsApp? The pictures were included in my ‘Top Anticipated Sweets’ segment. And I’ve even mentioned the shop by name a few times.”

“Oh,” was the primary reaction of her male family members. Their secondary reaction varied by individual.

“How the fuck do you expect us to remember all of that, Road? We’re not Skinn,” Devitt justified with a careless shrug, supported by his brother’s nodding.

“All those photos do tend to be indistinguishable from one another after a while,” Wisely mumbled as he kept watch for the shop.

When Road directed her gaze through the driver mirror to Tyki, he simply smirked and reasoned, “At least you’ll get to eat them now.”

Road dramatically flopped back into her seat and threw an arm over her eyes. “I’m surrounded by philistines!” she moaned out loud, much to the others’ amusement.

Wisely’s quiet chuckle at his sister’s performance disappeared once his attention was caught by an approaching streetlamp. After the teenager was able to read the signs posted on it, he straightened up and said, “Tyki, turn this corner. The shop should be the last house on the opposite row.”

Anything words that might have left Tyki’s mouth would have been drowned out by Road’s squeals of joy. So, the adult instead chuckled and followed Wisely’s direction.

After just one more U-turn to reach the other side of the road, the rental car finally pulled up in front of the brick house. Just barely after the vehicle stopped in place, Road burst out with an iron-clad grip on Jasdero and Devitt’s coats and a battle cry of, “Onward!!!”

“There she goes,” Tyki sighed as he and Wisely watched Road vaulting over the low brick fence while ignoring both the iron gate and the shouts of her captives. The adult then caught sight of a white wooden sign – posted behind the section of fence not made redundant by a group of teenagers – and exited the car to walk up to it. Despite the reduced visibility from all the swirling snow, he was still able to clearly read the carved and painted letters: ‘ _The Wandering Pierrot’s Pocket Sweets – Handmade Chocolates, Sweets, Fudge and More_ ’.

_‘Well, at least we’re at the right place,’_ he thought with some amusement. But then the smirk on his face melted away as a question that should have occurred to him earlier finally showed its face. ‘Wait, is the shop even still open-’

BANG BANG BANG!

Taken aback by that series of loud noises suddenly ringing through the air, Tyki turned to look at its source: Jasdero and Devitt assaulting the front door with their fists while Road watched them.

“Hey, open up!” bellowed Devitt, uncaring of how much he and his brother were being public nuisances. “You got paying customers freezing their asses off out here!”

“Yeah, we’re freezing!” Jasdero oh so helpfully added.

Tyki watched this display with ever-growing trepidation for a few more seconds before turning back to the car. “A little help here, Wisely?” he asked the teenager still in the car.

Wisely – who had been observing everyone else through a half-open car window – responded by raising the window and locking the door.

‘ _Claro_ , (Of course)’ Tyki sarcastically thought as he facepalmed. With some reluctance he removed the appendage and turned back to the house. He was on his own regarding damage control.

The Portuguese man stepped over the low fence – thus making a mockery of it as much as Road, Jasdero and Devitt did – and trudged over to the group, prepared to smooth the feathers of the soon to arrive shop owner. If they were not going to be irritated by all the noise the twins were making, they certainly would hate how it was causing an unseen dog inside to bark its head off.

But right when Tyki reached the short snow-capped hedgerow right in front of the house, he noticed something odd. From afar, the hedgerow appeared to be a continuous green line partially wrapping around the front of the house and stopping only for the piece of fence which delineated the property from its conjoined neighbor. Up close, however, he could see that there were in fact two hedgerows which overlapped to form a hidden corridor.

A corridor which was bathed with a golden glow…

Curiosity now truly piqued, the Portuguese man strolled over to the opening and peaked around the corner. First, he noticed the descending set of stairs leading into a short but cozy subterranean nook. Then he realized that the light filling up the space came from three different sources: an overhead lamp, a small window set into a door, and a larger window set into the wall. Finally, after leaning further in, he observed that the larger window not only had a logo and the shop’s name on it – it also displayed several jars with colorful pieces of what could only be candy.

“ _Hmm… isso é interessante, (that is interesting)_ ” Tyki murmured to himself as he looked back at the twins still raining blows upon the front door. “ _A loja parece estar aberta, mas ningúem não está atendendo à porta principal. (The store appears to be open, but no one is answering the front door)_ ”

But instead of pondering further, Tyki decided it would be better to enter the store and get Road’s sweets that way. It certainly would not be as noisy as the twin’s way.

And so, the Portuguese man started to descend. Due to the large amount of snow burdening the stairs and swallowing his feet with each step, progress went slower than he would have liked.

Just before he reached the final step, Tyki noticed sudden movement from the corner of his eye and instinctively turned his gaze to see what caused it. He was greeted with a better view of the store window and its content. Not only were there candy jars and other such displays, but also several pieces of Christmas decorations. Christmas lights trimming the inner edges of the window itself, garlands twisting and turning around the candy, and shiny ornament balls hanging from anything with a stable hook, edge or point were all present.

But what caught his attention in the first place was a waist-height Christmas tree. Not because of its decorations – though they were pleasing to look at – but because of the person tending to it.

Or rather, the person’s ass; currently on display due to them bending over.

“ _Fixe_ , (Nice)” Tyki breathed to himself. The Portuguese man then let out an appreciative whistle as he paused to examine the sight. From what he could see of the person – who was facing away from him and partially hidden by the Christmas tree – they possessed a rather slim physique, but that did not preclude them from having a nice ass highlighted by their white pants. It certainly would be hard to resist squeezing those round globes of flesh during… activities…

‘ _Are they single?_ ’ Tyki wondered as he started moving again, all while keeping his eyes on that beguiling sight. _‘I was planning to just relax in a hotel room while waiting out the blizzard… But that does not mean I can’t have something to anticipate later this week…’_

However, as Tyki resolved to charm his way into getting the mystery person’s number, his foot descended upon the final step-

And ended up slipping.

“ _Porra!_ (Fuck)”

**\- xXx -**

**Cultural Notes**

**Philistine – An uncultured, boorish person who is uninterested in art at best. Derived from the Philistines, an ancient group of people from Canaan best known for fighting with the Israelites; one such conflict is the showdown between David and Goliath!**

**Broas de Natal – Traditional Portuguese sweet bread biscuits for Christmas. Generally made with sweet potato, ground almonds, eggs, sugar and orange peel.**


	3. Candy Canes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ellen's busy working when she hears something outside. What is the cause?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Notes: Here’s the third chapter! I’m sorry if it comes across as rushed. I want to put up as many chapters for this story during the month as possible, so I’ve been trying to write at least 500 words per day. There are also other stories to work on, so combine that with work, trying to exercise 30 minutes a day, and other stuff… Well, please don’t be surprised if the last chapter is posted several months in the future. 
> 
> Still, I hope you enjoy this chapter! Tyki and Ellen get to meet at the very end! Oh, and please leave a comment if you have anything to say about this story. Please and thank you!

**_Chapter Three: Candy Canes_ **

**-xXx-**

_Several minutes ago_

“Hmm…” Ellen tapped her chin with her left index finger and readjusted the left earbud of a pair currently streaming a playlist of her favorite songs from iHeartRadio. After wearing Timcanpy out with playtime until he fell asleep and checking the contents of her refrigerator (dinner was most likely going to be beef stew from the pressure cooker), the young woman went back downstairs to start on her lengthy to-do list for the shop. She quickly decided that storing Mr. Kamelot’s order should be the first task to complete, given that it was both time-sensitive and time-consuming.

As such, she was now standing in front of a long table (situated in the space next to the hallway leading to the storage room, kitchen, and front room) which barely had a centimeter devoid of sweets. Stacked next to it were the nine cardboard boxes she had shown to Lenalee earlier.

‘ _Alright, the toffees and truffles without fruits or nuts can go straight to the freezer_ ,’ the confectioner thought while separating said sweets from the others. This was easy to do, given that she had a simple system for sweets’ identification. Whether made of cellophane, plastic, or kraft paper, each type of container bore at least one symbol that foretold their contents’ identity and/or optimal storage conditions. The fruit and nut-free truffles and toffees, for example, were each marked with a blue snowflake – indicating the ability to freeze them without worry.

Now, this identification system did require more work on Ellen’s part. Paperboard boxes could simply have the symbols stamped onto their white undersides. But plastic containers and cellophane required special stickers to be printed up and placed on at a time. Despite all that, however, they did help cut down on time spent on sorting them out from one another. And some of her customers also appreciated how the symbols helped them organize and keep their purchases fresher for longer.

With the first group of sweets safely packed into a box placed on a metal drink trolley she’d received as a gag gift from Daisya last year, Ellen turned back to the table and randomly selected a box that could fit in the palm of her hand from the rest. Turning it over triggered a sound akin to rain striking the ground and revealed a stamp of tiny polka dots within a circle – the symbol for jelly beans.

Ellen walked over to the thermostat and checked the current temperature. The display showed ‘16 degrees Celsius’: the lower end of the range for room temperature.

‘ _They can be left in the storage room, then,_ ’ she decided before returning to the table and boxing the new batch of sweets. ‘ _Though some might need to be moved to the walk-in fridge should the storage room grow too full_.’

And that was the process for the next several minutes. By the end, Ellen had one box of sweets heading for the freezer, two for the fridge, and the rest staying in the storage room.

“Perfect,” the young woman happily sighed to herself as she took a step back. But then a slightly anxious feeling flit across her. While she had yet to receive an e-mail telling her that Mr. Kamelot was cancelling his order, there was no guarantee that he wouldn’t do so, either. After all, there were still roughly nine hours left in the day – plenty of time for him to change his mind at the last minute.

The young woman pondered this conundrum for a few more seconds, then shook her head in dismissal. ‘ _Ultimately, Ellen, it’s out of your hands_ ,’ she reminded herself as she moved away from the table and grabbed the trolley’s handle. ‘ _Worrying about it further will help no one, least of all you._ ’

The confectioner started pushing the trolley in the direction of the kitchen. But before she even reached the storage room, her silver-grey eyes fell upon the pine door to the supply closet; a tiny room where she kept cleaning supplies for the shop and other miscellaneous items that didn’t belong upstairs. Among those other items were a snow shovel and a few large bags of sand.

Ellen blinked and turned her gaze from the supply closet to inspect the trolley. It came up to her waist and had two shelves, the top one currently carrying the boxes of freezable or refrigerable sweets.

‘ _Well… I did scatter some sand on the steps earlier this morning, but I’ll still need more for the shoveling once the snow stops,’_ she thought to herself. ‘ _And with some rearrangements, I think I can fit one bag onto here._ ’

Nodding to herself, the young woman made a detour to the supply closet and retrieved a bag of sand. Then, after all the sweets were moved to the lower shelf, she easily picked up the heavy bag and laid it flat on the top shelf.

With that done, Ellen gave the trolley a test push. Naturally, the sand added resistance to her pushing, but she could still manage to move the trolley without hardship.

‘ _Alright, then_ ,’ the confectioner thought as she resumed her journey to the kitchen. ‘ _Back to work_.’

Once the sweets were stored in either the freezer or the fridge, the confectioner entered the shop’s front room via the door behind the sales counter. Additional maneuvering needed to be undertaken, due to the tight space in between the wall and counter as well as the counter gate and flap, but she nevertheless managed to cross the room with the trolley and reached the shop’s entrance.

Ellen lifted the bag from the trolley and carefully placed it near the door. Once she was sure that the bag wouldn’t slide down the wall, she stood back up and made a circuit around the room. Her eyes swept over every shelf and table, carefully taking in just how the sweets were arranged and displayed within the available space.

Though the nearly arrived blizzard effectively ended the workday early, the shop still saw several customers coming in to purchase sweets. And of course, it was possible not everyone who entered received their goods in a legal manner. Sweets were incredibly easy to steal, and while she had several prevention methods in place – signs, mirrors, security cameras and a counter which faced the entrance – there were still moments when a shoplifter could go unnoticed.

Thankfully, the confectioner could see no obvious signs of theft from this preliminary inspection. It was still possible that theft had happened, and only her taking inventory and reviewing security footage could definitively prove or disprove any assumptions made. But the visual absence of robbery did make her feel a bit better.

Ellen was just about to retrieve her trolley when she noticed something rather odd with the green tablecloth covering one of the display tables. Instead of hanging straight down and nearly brushing the floor, there was one small area where the tablecloth’s hemline curved out and around – a clear indication that something was hidden underneath.

Lifting the tablecloth quickly confirmed that possibility, as the confectioner was greeted by the sight of a Christmas bauble lying on its side.

‘ _Huh?_ ’ she thought, picking the red ball depicting a snowman up and looking at its previous home: a Christmas tree set up in the corner by the shop window. Four feet of distance separated Ellen’s current location from the tree. ‘ _How did this get over here?_ ’

The young woman mentally reviewed the day’s events in search of an answer. The only moment that truly stood out was Emilia and Timothy’s visit thirty minutes before Lenalee’s. While Ellen and Emilia had been distracted with the purchase of a few boxes of candy canes, Timothy used the opportunity to… cheekily handle Emilia’s top assets. Emilia, however, did not appreciate his action, and expressed her opinion by chasing the nine-year-old boy around the shop before delivering a punch on the top of his head. Thankfully for Ellen, their antics did very little damage to her shop; the most that happened was the light jostling of shelves and tables as they brushed past.

‘ _At least, that’s what I thought_ ,’ Ellen amended in her head. ‘ _I guess the sound of the ornament falling to the ground was covered up by Emilia’s angry shouts and Timothy’s cries. I suppose I should be grateful it’s made of plastic and not glass…_ ’

Pulling up to the Christmas tree, the confectioner’s silver-grey quickly looked it over for space to hang the bauble up.

‘ _I can put it over there_ ,’ she decided after finding a nude branch hanging off the tree’s right side. Because the branch was easily in arm’s reach, Ellen merely bent over and carefully hooked the bauble on without disturbing the other decorations.

But just as the young woman let the Christmas ornament go, she was startled by a loud shout and thud overriding Ariana Grande’s “ _no tears left to cry”_. “What was that?” she questioned out loud, then removed the earbuds and put them into her right trouser pocket.

Now that Ellen was no longer listening to her personal playlist, she could hear both the Christmas playlist playing over the shop’s speakers and the barking of Timcanpy from upstairs. Still, neither of them could have produced the sounds that just captured her attention. As such, she moved to the shop window and peered outside to find an additional source.

And it was a good thing she did. For right in front of the steps, there was someone lying on their side as snowfall diligently worked to bury them.

Alarmed by the sight, Ellen rushed to grab her parka and headed for the door. The young woman had just managed to put her hood when she crossed the threshold and hurried towards the stranger.

Though the veil of snow was very dense, she still could see that the stranger – a man, judging by his physique – had managed to push himself into a sitting position, but did nothing else besides clutching his right shoulder and letting out a hiss of pain.

Sighing with relief over the fact that the man was at least still conscious, the confectioner walked up to and kneeled beside him. She then gently laid a hand on his left arm to get his attention…

And, for a long second, was left absolutely mesmerized once she saw his face.

It was an honestly embarrassing reaction for Ellen, given that she was a grown woman; not a schoolgirl prone to becoming tongue-tied in the presence of the opposite sex. Still, she couldn’t help it – the man was just so bloody handsome! Dark, wavy hair; flawless hazelnut skin; a finely sculpted jawline – those were just some of the physical features that caused her mouth to go dry and her heart to skip a beat.

But what had truly captivated the young woman were his eyes. Those golden irises glowed brighter than the light from the windows and lamp behind them. And when they settled upon Ellen, she felt as if this man could see underneath her thick parka and hood – all the way to her nude skin…

The long second did eventually end, however, and the confectioner was left feeling foolish for practically mooning over a stranger while heavy snowfall continued to cover them.

‘ _Get ahold of yourself, Ellen! This man requires assistance, not gawking_.’

With that mental scolding delivered, Ellen softly cleared her throat and sent him a reassuring smile.

The young woman belatedly noticed the soft crunching of snow coming from above, but kept her attention on him as she asked, “Are you all right, sir?”

**\- xXx -**

**Cultural Notes**

**Kraft paper – Paper or paperboard made from chemical pulp that’s produced by the kraft process (an eight-step procedure that includes treating wood chips with hot water, sodium hydroxide, and sodium sulfide). Comes in several varieties (sack, spinning, hunting cartridge, etc.) but each are known for having good strength and/or durability.**

**16 degrees Celsius – Rounds up to 61 degrees Fahrenheit.**

**Trolley (UK) – Another name for a rolling cart.**

**Sand on the steps – Putting sand down on snow or icy roads provides traction, which is helpful during shoveling. Unlike salt, however, the sand can’t melt snow. So, it must be reapplied if the first layer gets buried by additional snow.**


	4. Pudim Flan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tyki comes face to face with the woman he was... admiring, and gets a preview of her delicate appearance and strong will.
> 
> He's quite intrigued, but also wishes his fall hadn't left him with a bruised shoulder and possibly sprained ankle.
> 
> The audience comprising of Road, Wisely and the Jasdevi twins isn't helping, either.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Notes: Hello, hello! Are all of you doing okay? I’m fine, though I must confess that I really don’t think I can finish this story before the end of December. I should have started it sooner, but my writing process makes me jump between multiple stories. Not to mention my job isn’t one that allows me to work from home. Still, I do hope you like this chapter.
> 
> You may notice that Tyki is using a different nickname than ‘menina’ for Ellen. This is because ‘menina’, which means ‘girl’, is more commonly used in Brazil, not Portugal. Another word for ‘girl’ that is used in the latter country is ‘rapariga’. But I’m not using it in this story because I find its pronunciation not as catchy as ‘menina’. So, I had to search online Portuguese dictionaries and Internet comments from Portuguese users for an appropriate substitute.
> 
> Please leave a comment if you have anything to say! Constructive criticism helps authors like me improve our works!

**_Chapter Four: Pudim Flan_ **

**-xXx-**

“Are you all right, sir?”

‘ _If I say no, will you be my personal nurse?_ ’

Tyki internally winced at that rather cringey line his mind came up with. It was fortuitous that he hadn’t blurted it out loud; otherwise, the woman – judging by the pitch of her voice – would think she might be dealing with a pervert. Which was ridiculous; Sheril was the family pervert, not him!

Though the Portuguese man had to admit, while the backlighting from the windows and the parka hood did much to hide her face, her silver-grey eyes alone sufficiently furthered his already-piqued interest. Those large, luminous orbs brought less than wholesome images to mind as they looked upon him with curiosity…

…and concern?

“Sir?” she repeated, breaking Tyki from his musings. “I asked if you are feeling well?”

The Portuguese man, with hooded eyes and a slow grin, released his right shoulder and planted both hands on the ground. Projecting a manner of nonchalance, he leant back and responded to her query with a chuckle. “Yes, I’m fine.”

“Are you sure, sir?” she pressed. “I heard your shout from the shop, and you were hissing in pain and clutching your shoulder when I found you out here.”

Tyki’s right shoulder throbbed in response, briefly distracting him from the woman. But he ignored it, along with the pain in his right foot, in favor of telling her, “I might have been caught off guard by a… slight slip that led to my shoulder hitting the wall. But it wasn’t that bad; at most, I’ll have to deal with some bruising. Thank you for your concern, but you don’t need to worry.”

However, the mysterious woman wasn’t convinced by his reassurances. Instead, she sent a focused look to his feet. “You slipped? Did any part of your ankle strike against the ground?”

“Well, yeah-”

Tyki wasn’t even able to finish his sentence. For the mysterious woman wrapped her left arm around his torso and easily hefted him to his feet.

“You’re the one who should worry,” she gently scolded him after hearing a groan leave his lips; a clear reaction to weight being applied to his right ankle. “Especially considering today’s weather. A possibly sprained ankle is the last thing you need right now.”

Tyki blinked a few times as he looked down at the woman. A part of him was surprised by her bold show of strength, given that he had both twenty centimeters and at least ten kilograms on her. But another part was quietly appreciating the closer proximity. A delicious mix of sugar and caramel teasingly tickled his nose, reminding him of the _pudim flan_ his mother would serve for _Consoada_ , and the feeling of their sides pressing together was much better than the previous light touch on his arm.

Her invasion of his space also allowed the Portuguese man a better look at her heart-shaped face. And it was a genuinely nice one to gaze upon. Not only did he get a closer look at her silver-grey eyes and the long lashes framing them, but he also noticed her small up-turned nose and pink lips. Overall, she appeared to be the girl next door…

… Barring the most intriguing feature: a red abstract tattoo decorating her left cheek. Comprising of two perpendicular lines, the design zigzagged across the vast expanse of her cheek, cradled her lower lash line, and bisected her eyebrow to disappear underneath bleached white bangs. It served quite a bold contrast to her delicate facial features – and made him wonder if she had any other tattoos hidden beneath…

Tyki felt a sly grin spread across his face at that last thought and the lovely images conjured by it. Taking advantage of the current situation, he leaned into her personal space and chuckled, “Perhaps, _jovem_ , but I think it’s given me exactly what I wanted.”

The woman blinked a few times, slightly confused by either that cryptic sentence of what Tyki just called her. But as just as she parted her lips to put forth a question-

“You made me get out the car for _this_ , Road?”

While the mystery woman was startled by a voice unfamiliar to her, Tyki had to bite back a frustrated groan at its all-too-familiar nature.

‘ _Please just be a figment of my imagination…_ ’

Unfortunately for Tyki, that plea went unanswered. For when the two adults turned their heads to find the source of the dry rhetorical question, they were greeted with the sight of four teenagers looking down on them.

Road, foot tapping the ground and eyes glittering with both exasperation and amusement, waited until the older man was looking at her to cheekily question, “Enjoying yourself, Tyki?”

The Portuguese man’s eyes narrowed as he asked, “How long have you four been standing there?”

“Since a few minutes ago,” Devitt shrugged as Jasdero huddled closer to him and away from the snowy wind. “Road heard you shout and dragged all of us over here.”

“Hmm… though it doesn’t look like it was necessary,” Wisely amended, staring at the lack of space between his uncle and the woman with an all-knowing gaze. “You seem to be quite _comfortable_ right now.”

Tyki scowled at his nephew’s semi-accurate insinuation, then stole a glance at the woman next to him. While her cheeks were flushing a rather fetching pink, he could also tell she was starting to become uncomfortable underneath the others’ scrutiny. And that would not do.

But right before he could warn them against further embarrassing comments, Road broke out into giggles. “Really, Tyki, you’re such a shameless charmer,” she jokingly chided her uncle as she started skipping down the stairs.

While the Portuguese man just rolled his eyes at his niece’s antics, the woman holding him up was a bit less sanguine about them. “Please be careful about the last step,” she warned the younger girl just as the latter neared the bottom. “It’s shorter than the others which, along with the snow, can lead to you falling and injuring yourself. And there’s already been a case of that today.”

That last statement caused Tyki to stiffen up and stopped Road right in her tracks. The girl frowned, now noticing the snow marks on her uncle’s pants and how he favored his left leg. “Oh? And who was it?” she asked, though she already had a suspicion.

One that was quickly confirmed by the woman’s gesturing to Tyki with her head, as well as his slight grimace.

For a few moments, the teenagers remained silent as they absorbed that newly revealed information.

Then the Jasdevi twins started laughing their asses off.

“Seriously, Tyki?” Devitt howled as he repeatedly pounded the side of the house with his fist. “You actually tripped on the last step? That’s so fucking lame!”

“Yeah, lame!” Jasdero chimed in, holding onto his twin to keep himself from falling due to laughter.

Tyki facepalmed as he let out a terse sigh. ‘ _It’s going to be a while before I live this one down…_ ’

Unlike their American cousins, however, Wisely and Road were looking at their uncle with some concern.

“Are you okay, Tyki?” the teenaged girl asked as she hopped off the last step and hurried over. Wisely followed at a much more sedate pace.

“His shoulder hit the wall when he fell, so he’ll need an ice pack for that,” the woman answered before Tyki could. She met his raised eyebrow with a firm gaze as she continued, “He might have also sprained his ankle, though I can’t say for sure until I get him inside and inspect it.”

“Do you have training for that?” Wisely interjected as he directed a steady gaze on her.

The woman sent his nephew a patient smile and replied, “I’ve taken a few First Aid courses with the British Red Cross. A friend of mine also showed me how to tend to a sprained ankle when I was fifteen.”

Wisely carefully studied her calm expression, then nodded his head while stuffing his hands into his pockets. “Good enough for me.”

“In that case,” the woman concluded, “we should all go inside before we come down with hypothermia.”

As if to reinforce her concern, the already high winds picked up in speed and ferocity. Snow had already battered them, but now it was leaving a rapidly growing layer on the parts of their bodies facing the wind.

The woman immediately turned to the four shivering teenagers and commanded, “The shop door is unlocked. Get inside, now!”

Wisely and Road needed no further incentives and ran towards the entrance. Even Jasdero and Devitt, who heeded no authority figures besides the Earl, didn’t complain as they scrambled down the stairs and squeezed past the adults while muttering out, “Cold, cold, cold!”

Once the twins disappeared into the store, silver eyes looked back at Tyki. “Shall we?”

The Portuguese man chuckled as he replied, “Lead the way, _jovem_.”

The woman smiled and draped his left arm around her shoulders. She then carefully coaxed Tyki into slowly shuffling forward while matching his speed with tiny steps of her own. “ _Jovem_?” she asked, raising her voice so that she could be heard over the wind. “What does that word mean?”

“The literal definition is ‘young’… but it can also mean ‘girl’.”

Her face dropped the smile for a frown as she repeated with an offended tone, “‘Girl’? I’m nearly twenty-three years old.”

Tyki had stifle an amused snort triggered by her mild indignation. “You don’t like it, then?”

“Would you like it if I called you ‘boy’ instead of your name?” the woman dryly countered with a raised eyebrow.

This time he couldn’t help but laugh. “No,” he replied just as they pulled up in front of the door being held open by Wisely. “Then again, you’ve already heard it thanks to my niece, nephew and cousins. I can’t say the same for myself.”

Mild shock and realization that he was right flashed across her face, causing her to pause in front of the store’s threshold and glance down at the ground in embarrassment. “Oh, how rude of me. I forgot to introduce myself.” She offered Tyki a small, bashful smile and said, “I’m Ellen Walker, the owner and confectioner of _‘The Wandering Pierrot’s Pocket Sweets’_. It’s nice to meet you, Tyki.”

Despite feeling a pleasant shudder run down his spine at how Ellen pronounced his name, Tyki was silently shocked by what he just learned. ‘ _She’s the owner?_ ’ he wondered while she resumed walking with him in tow. ‘ _At her age?_ ’

When Ellen mentioned earlier that she was almost twenty-three, the Portuguese man had assumed she was either an employee forced into waiting out the blizzard at work, or the owner’s adult daughter. The notion that she ran the business by herself hadn’t even cross his mind.

But the shock began to fade as he focused his attention on Ellen, who was now guiding him over the threshold and over to a counter with a cash register stationed on top. _‘Hmm… a kind young lady with white hair and a face tattoo, who seems physically strong, owns a small business, and is considerate while still having a backbone… she’s certainly different than the women Sheril keeps flinging my way…_ ’

‘ _…forget about just getting a phone number; I’m going to work my way into her bed.’_

“I assure you, Ellen,” he seductively whispered in the young woman’s ear, greatly enjoying the blush that appeared on her cheeks, “ _o prazer é todo meu_ (the pleasure is all mine).”

**\- xXx -**

**Cultural Notes**

**_Pudim flan_ ** **– Portuguese flan (crème caramel): a custard dessert topped with a layer of clear caramel sauce. Originates from Spain, Italy, France and Portugal. In Portugal, variations can include orange or lemon zest, Port wine, or even bacon! They also have a hole in the middle.**

**_Consoada_ ** **– Christmas dinner in Portugal. Served on Christmas Eve, it features dishes like _bacalhau_ (dried and salted cod) and _pudim flan_. Because Portugal is mainly Catholic, however, you won’t see any meat-based dishes.**

**British Red Cross – the UK governing body of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. Formed in 1870 after the beginning of the Franco-Prussian War, it now has over 17,200 volunteers and 3,400 staff members.**


End file.
